HEADLINES FROM THE IZRAELI HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 
1. LAST MOMENT: STATE ATTORNEY WEIGHS GATHERING ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY IN LIBERMAN CASE 
Indictment against former Foreign Minister postponed yesterday after it became apparent that key witnesses in ambassador affair have not been interrogated. 

2. Due to decline in taxes 
NECESSARY BUDGET CUT: NEARLY 20 BILLION NIS 

3. CONFLICT WITH WOMEN OF THE WALL SHARPENS: WAVE OF ARRESTS AND NEW PROHIBITIONS 

MA’ARIV 

1. State Attorney postpones indictment against Avigdor Liberman in ambassador affair. 

FOREIGN MINISTRY APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE: „WE UNDERSTOOD THAT BEN ARYEH NEEDED TO BE CHOSEN” 

(…). 

2. ADMISSION IN THE LIKUD: „INCREASE IN BUILDING PERMITS IN JUDEA, SAMARIA AND JERUSALEM IS OUR ELECTION CAMPAIGN” 

YEDIOT AHRONOT 
1. USA: „ISRAEL…CONTINUING THIS PATTERN OF PROVOCATIVE ACTION.” 
Administration issues unprecedented sharp condemnation of Netanyahu’s policy of construction in the territories.

YISRAEL HAYOM 

1. Coalition partners estimate: There is a majority to disqualify Hanin Zoabi’s candidacy. 

APPARENT: THE COMMITTEE WILL DISQUALIFY, THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE WILL APPROVE 

Approximately 20 of the 34 members of the Central Elections committee is expected to support disqualification. Labor to oppose: „Slippery slope.” Decision also expected on requests to disqualify Shas and United Torah Judaism over discrimination against women 

2. DESPITE CONDEMNATIONS: „CONSTRUCTION WILL CONTINUE” 

USA: „Israel’s actions provocative.” Concern: Europeans will issue condemnation in UN Security Council. 

WALLA! 
1. REPORT: BLOWN-UP HEZBOLLAH FACILITY CONTAINED CHEMICAL CAPABLE MISSILES 
Kuwaiti newspaper, Al-Gerida, the reports of which have been previously linked to Israeli sources, reported that Monday’s explosion was intended to hit advanced missiles which were transferred from Syria to Lebanon, and are capable of carrying chemical warheads. 

2. VOTE ON DISQUALIFICATION OF BALAD AND RA’AM-TA’AL LISTS HAS BEGUN 

NANA10 

1. KNESSET DEBATE ON DISQUALIFICATION OF MK ZOABI’S CANDIDACY HAS BEGUN 

2. INDICTMENT AGAINST PERPETRATOR OF TEL AVIV [BUS] ATTACK: „PLAN WAS TO MURDER AS MANY INNOCENT VICTIMS AS POSSIBLE” 

3. REPORT: ISRAEL LINKED TO EXPLOSION AT HEZBOLLAH MISSILE DEPOT 

Kuwaiti newspaper, Al-Gerida, reports that the missile depot demolished in southern Lebanon on Monday contained Syrian missiles capable of carrying chemical and biological warheads. 

[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 10:55.] 
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS 

Yediot Ahronot analyzes the situation in Syria and asserts, „The fall of Syria into the hands of rebel groups that are mostly or entirely Sunni is expected to crumble the radical ‘axis of evil.’ This has long been a dream of the State of Israel and the IDF, which was ready to kill or be killed for it. Will the Sunnis join a new such axis? It seems that there is hardly any chance. They have a long, open account with Iran and Hezbollah.” The author speculates that a new Sunni regime in Damascus would – provided that Syria does not break apart into ethnic/religious mini-states – be more concerned with forging links to the West and rebuilding Syria than pursuing a conflict with Israel. 

Ma’ariv discusses corruption and politics. While the author believes that, „One cannot convict accused politicians before trial,” he adds that, „The growing number of such politicians in recent years is very worrying from a moral and values point-of-view.” The paper suggests that Avigdor Liberman, „represents a worsening problem: Candidates in elections who are legally clean – because they were acquitted or were convicted and have passed the cooling-off period – but still have disturbing skeletons in their closets,” and reminds its readers, „There are several of these in the upcoming elections: Liberman, Hanegbi, Deri (who was convicted and served his sentence)…and several others who have had brushes with the law (Feiglin, for example) or ethics.” The author concludes: „If we attach to these the fact that almost all prime ministers in the past 20 years have been investigated by the police and one was even convicted, and add the president and the ministers who have been thrown in jail, as well as the local council heads who have also gone there, the words of the prophet Isaiah (1:23)<www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Bible/Isaiah1.html > ring in our ears: ‘Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards.'” 

Yisrael Hayom refers to the announcement that another 1,500 residential units will be built in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo<www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_sys/picture/atarim/site_form_atar_eng.asp?site_id=2281&pic_cat=4&icon_cat=6&york_cat=9&type_id=197 > and suggests that the Government might have been wiser to announce construction in increments of much smaller numbers. The author avers that such a large number will inevitably draw international criticism and predicts that it will also be difficult to carry out. The paper says that the announcement, „is unnecessary and is being made only because we are in the midst of an election campaign, and Naftali Bennett is pushing the move,” and concludes, „In the end, the Jewish Home [Party], which is now pressuring the Government, will extract from it not construction in concrete and cement, but announcements that will be a magnet for sharp criticism in the pro-Israel world. The question is whether one more seat in the 19th Knesset is worth it.”